#RealLifeTransAdult
Electronic engineer, Katie Montgomenrie
Katy Montgomerie is a British transwoman that works as an electronic engineer, designing computer chips that make the internet work! And she is great at it!
GR: Katy, what has been the most difficult situation as an electronic engineer?
KM: Probably the most difficult thing I’ve done at work was coming out to everyone, I’d worked with most of them for 5 years before coming out, and standing up in front of 30 people telling them that tomorrow you’re coming in as a woman is terrifying! It went really well though.
GR: Wow. That is amazing. Can you recall any other moment where you felt so loved and accepted?
KM: My coming out wasn’t one single big event, it was a series of one on one conversations over a series of months. Every time I told a friend about being trans I was dying of fear and worry, and every time they showed me love and respect. In most cases I felt much closer to them after sharing such a major part of my life with them. I still cannot get over how amazing all my friends are, how much I love them and how grateful I am for how much they love me.
“The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.” Leia — Star Wars
GR: What’s your view on these last years women’s right’s movements?
KM: Women’s Rights is one of the things that is most important to me, I spend literally hours every day discussing and debating feminism on the internet and with friends. It’s great to see things like the #MeToo movement and Australia’s recent equal marriage plebiscite making progress, but at the moment it does seem every step forward women take, they are forced to take another backwards elsewhere, for example the Trump administration’s actions to restrict reproductive rights of women. I think the biggest thing at the moment where actual positive change is possible is Ireland’s [upcoming] referendum on abortion on the 25th of May, look it up if you don’t know about it, get involved! #RepealThe8th
*editor’s note: the referendum was approved and abortion is now legal in Ireland
GR: What would you recommend to 16 year old you?
KM: This is the kind of thing I think about a lot… #nerdlife. I’ve actually got a secret passphrase that I can say to myself from the age of about 8 onwards that would prove that I was in fact me from the future, so I’d open with that (obviously I can’t say that here) then I’d say “dump your abusive partner; only sign up for 3 years at university; you’re actually a trans woman, it’s great, don’t panic; invest in bitcoin, sell at £10k”.
GR: Well Katie, you will reach hundreds of youngster LGBTQIA people so, what would you like to tell them?
KM: You are mega! There are going to be some things in your life that are harder for you than other people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ace it! You can have a happy life surrounded by loving friends and family, you can have a great job, you can do any hobby that you like! Hang in there ❤
http://www.noh8campaign.com/
http://www.noh8campaign.com/
http://www.noh8campaign.com/
